Abstract Statement

This project will examine the contemporary film production of the North American Indigenous Midwest cinema through the lens of the Fourth Cinema, which is a filmmaking approach prioritizing Indigenous perspectives, storytelling methods, and cultural traditions. Native Americans have been subject to misrepresentation and marginalization within the film industry, often finding their stories distorted or overlooked. The tribes of the Midwest, such as the Arikara, Ojibwe, or Lakota have resorted to unique ways to create their films for more culturally rooted, authentic, and accurate representations of their communities. Through a close reading, this project will center around works by Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell (On Sacred Ground, 2023) and Mollianne Cameron (Lakota Girls, 2017), with an emphasis on Fourth Cinema, the portrayal of community representation, and the integration of authentic casting practices. To select and use a variety of films, looking at both narrative and documentary films is important. This study is critical to Indigenous Cinema because exploring this section of films can help filmmakers not only understand what makes them distinct from their Hollywood or Indie-American films but also learn how to produce something that remains true to the culture that is being represented. Further than that, diving into a culture can boost its influence and spread its message to reach people and enrich them with a different worldview.